December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Kim Thorn attends a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

In honor of her late son, John, Kathy Dean of Daphne, Ala., brought a display of photographs and other memorabilia to a meeting of The Compassionate Friends of the Eastern Shore on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne. John died in September 2011 at age 21. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to...

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Linda Paulson, left, and Elaine Gensemer attend a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Elaine Gensemer attends a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Prame Massey of Daphne, Ala., displays photos of her daughter, Juthika, who died at age 23 about 20 months ago during a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike...

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Prame Massey of Daphne, Ala., left, shares a photo of her daughter, Juthika, who died at age 23 about 20 months ago with Kathy Dean during a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne. Dean's son, John, died in September 2011 at age 21. The Compassionate Friends is a...

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Kim Thorn of Daphne, Ala., shows a picture of her son, Kristopher, who died in June 2011 at age 27 during a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike...

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Kathy Dean attends a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Sheila Nelson attends a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Attending a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends are, l-r, , Kim Thorn, Prame Massey and Kathy Dean on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Sheila Nelson attends a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Elaine Gensemer attends a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Prame Massey attends a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost a child. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

December 04, 2013, 12:36PM

Attending a monthly meeting of The Compassionate Friends are, clockwise from bottom left, Linda Paulson, Elaine Gensemer, Sheila Nelson, Kim Thorn, Prame Massey, Kathy Dean, Kathy Tatum and Judy Simpson on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at Daphne United Methodist Church in Daphne, Ala. The Compassionate Friends is a national organization created to provide grief support for families who have lost...

December 03, 2011, 5:38AM

December holidays, says the Rev. Bob Sweet, pastor of Providence United Methodist Church in Spanish Fort, Ala., can be a trying time for those missing loved ones. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s, families gather. Absences can be profound. Healing, he says, is essential. Full story »